Sibling Strong

Memory Verse:“And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” Ephesians 4:32. (HCS)

Connecting to the BibleWho are your favorite Bible siblings? Do you remember Miriam in Exodus 2 watching out for her baby brother Moses when her mom had to hide him in the river to keep him from being killed? Let’s give her an “A” for being a GREAT sister in that situation. What about Esau and Jacob? In Genesis 23, Jacob trades Esau some stew for Esau’s birthright. That was NOT a fair trade! Let’s give Jacob an “F” for failing to treat his brother with fairness and love. Later in Genesis 27, Jacob (with the help of his mom) tricks his dad and steals Esau’s blessing. Again, let’s give him another “F”. When he thinks about what he had done, he takes off for a distant land, but returns years later to make things right with his brother Esau. The good news is that Esau greeted his brother with forgiveness and was happy to see him. Great job, Esau! Forgiving your brother gets you an “A+.” Miriam was a faithful sister. Jacob was a deceitful brother. Esau was a forgiving brother. Which of these three siblings are you most like?

Connecting to Your FamilyIf you have a brother or a sister, your sibling is there to help you and to make your stronger. If you are the oldest in your family, you should help lead and set the right example. If you are the youngest in the family…guess what…you, too, are expected to help lead and set the right example. Instead of fighting with each other, bugging each other, and yelling at each other; what if you tried something a little different from now on? What if you decided that you are going to help make your sister the BEST sister in the world or your brother the BEST brother in the world? What would you need to do to make that happen? Could you pray for your sibling? Could you tell your sibling how much you love him or her? Could you do things to encourage your sibling instead of doing things to make them want to knock you down? Find a way today to tell your brother or sister that you really do love them and that you are sorry for making them mad or angry when you do things that aggravate them.

Connecting to God
Ask your brother or sister to pray with you. Let them hear you thank God for them. Pray that you will not fight with each other. Pray that you will not get angry when things do not go your way. Ask God to help you be patient with your sibling who always seems to get on your nerves. Ask God to bless your sibling and to grow him or her into a great Christian leader today and in their future. Pray that when others see your family that they will see you and your brother or sister as Sibling Strong!